Staying
by Gary Oak The Pidgeon
Summary: AU. Bilbo decides to stay with Thorin. Thilbo, rated T cause I don't know what I'll do with this story.
1. Chapter 1

Bilbo didn't know what made him set down the Arkenstone, but he did. Was it truly worth stealing?

_No,_ he told himself. _It isn't._

* * *

"And there you go," Bilbo said, handing over the last of his treasure. "I wish you all well and apologize for how my companions treated you."

"What a sensible man you are," replied Bard. "This will surely help my people recover. "If only everyone could be like you." He placed the sacks of gold in his cart. "I presume that you are staying with them in the mountain."

Bilbo nodded. "I've grown fond of them, even though they have their faults. I'm sorry that I couldn't have gotten you all more."

"No, this is more than enough! Let us just hope that we may become allies again one day."

"Yes, one day." Bilbo, however, didn't see this as happening.

* * *

"The people of Laketown will bother us no longer," Bilbo said once he had arrived back.

"You convinced them to stop pestering us?" Thorin asked.

"No, I gave them my share of the gold."

No one said a word, all the dwarves looking to one another, seeming to ask each other if they'd heard the correct words.

"What?" Thorin roared.

"It's not like I'd even need it." Bilbo looked at each of the dwarves, but if they were on his side they didn't show it. "Besides, you wanted them to stop buzzing around us like flies."

When no one responded, he left, headed towards an empty hall. It was vast in size and filled with gold. Bilbo was sick of seeing it.

_What did I do wrong?_ he thought. _Thorin should be thanking me._

"Bilbo," came Thorin's deep, strong voice. "I wish to speak with you."

The hobbit turned to him. "What, do you wish to make me leave for what I did? Should I instead have robbed the poor people of the few treasures they had left like a good little thief?"

"No, don't think of it like that. I'm glad they're gone, and you do have a right to do with the gold as you wish, especially since you were the one who went in after Smaug. We owe so many things to you."

Bilbo wasn't convinced that his words were true. He yawned. "Two minutes you were acting as if I declared that I wanted you all to rot."

"It was a hasty decision, the words I said," Thorin said. "Please, I want to apologize. In all honesty, that was a very smart move. And to make it up to you, I will allow to take as much of my share of gold as you'd like."

"Take?"

"Well of course. You kept going on and on about how much you wanted to go back to your hobbit hole back at the Shire."

"I'm not going back."

"You aren't?"

"I've decided to stay."

Thorin smiled, more than just a regular smile, but a deep one, filled with strong emotions but hiding many more. "I can't say no then, can I? Feel free to stay." The words seemed to whisper to him that he had made an invisible binding to him and this place, and every dwarf would hate him if he were to decide to leave.

That night, when they ate the last of their food (as they planned to buy a far better amount with their gold), everyone seemed excited that Bilbo was staying.

"You're one of us now, little thief!" Gloin said, patting him on the back.

"Yes," Bombur added, "you're practically a dwarf yourself, though about child-sized and in need of a good shave to the feet!"

The dwarves began to laugh.

"Thank you," Bilbo muttered.

"I'm surprised he didn't run away screaming," said Kili.

"That would be inconsiderate of you all," Bilbo responded. "Do you take me as a rude one?"

Kili shook his head. "Sometimes it's just hard to understand hobbits."

"Don't give him such a hard time," said Thorin in his loud, commanding voice. He came up and wrapped his arm around Bilbo's back. "That's the order of the king."

In seconds, everyone was silent, and not even the sound of their breathing could be heard. Bilbo tensed up, feeling every eye on him. He laughed weakly. "Yes, you all must obey the king, dwarves."

"As do you," replied Thorin, a playful gleam in his eye. "You did say that you wanted to stay and become one of us."

Though his tone was playful and far from serious, Bilbo still couldn't find a way to answer.

"Looks like I got him tongue-tied," said Thorin. "You may speak, little hobbit."

Bilbo sighed. "I am not little!"

"And I do not have a beard."

"Thorin, I simply decided to stay here. Does that mean I am to be insulted?"

"Your size makes you cute."

Bilbo scowled. "I am not cute!"

"Well you certainly offer more to the eye than the dwarves do!" He laughed, and so did the other dwarves. It finally hit Bilbo that the others had been listening to their conversation.

"He is as small as a cute little mouse," said Kili.

Bilbo felt himself get angrier. "Would you all stop comparing me to rodents?"

"We don't mean it in offense," said Thorin, squeezing his arm around his back. "You're one of us now and you get treated like the rest of us."

Instead, Bilbo felt like the tortured younger sibling. He feared that would end up being his role in a few years. Should he have simply left with Gandalf? He certainly hadn't considered what living with the dwarves actually meant.

"I managed to get some ale," said Thorin proudly. Dwarves around him gasped, then excitedly whispered to each other, looks of pure glee on their faces. "Now let us celebrate!"

Everyone cheered, hailing him as the greatest king to ever live. Thorin finally released Bilbo from his monstrous, all-consuming grasp, and Bilbo snuck away from them, going again to a lonely corner. He sat down, took a deep breath, then once more thought about his life, and how he got where he was.

**Please review. If no one does, then I won't update.**


	2. Chapter 2

Bilbo ate heartily, as did all the other dwarves. Hundreds, no thousands, had flocked to the city in excitement once they'd heard the news. Each all brought with them great food, and all sang songs of the return of Erebor to its rightful owners. They also sang songs of their king and the defeat of Smaug.

_The dragon's dead_

_The king will be crowned_

_The dwarves have led_

_Us to where our sorrows are drowned_

"You seem to have quite the following," said Bilbo to Thorin.

"Are you disappointed that you do not get some of the glory, halfling?" replied Thorin. His tone of voice was joking, which perfectly matched Bilbo's.

"No, of course not. You certainly deserve the title of king." The crowning would be the next day, and every one seemed anxious about it.

"Thank you. I'll make sure that you're declared the royal thief."

"What a fine title," said Bilbo sarcastically.

"You'll be honored for it! You took a cup right from under Smaug's nose."

_Yes, I did._ Bilbo thought. _I only got hundreds of innocent villagers killed for it, along with their belongings destroyed. Who knows how long it'll take for them to recover, even with their new gold?_

"May I ask you a serious question?" Bilbo asked. "It's been bothering me for quite some time."

"What is it?"

Bilbo looked around at all the dwarves and all their great wealth. "During our long, difficult journey, did you truly believe that you'd win? That Smaug would really die? At times I nearly gave up and lost all hope; it just seemed so impossible."

"What makes you say that? You went through so many trials and came out alive."

"Still, did you ever truly believe we could truly end Smaug's life? He was a bringer of destruction and we were just a small group of men."

_Besides, we weren't the ones who killed him, Thorin._ Bilbo thought. _Bard ended Smaug's life and yet you wouldn't even agree to help him. I ended up having to do it for you._

"Hope may seem impossible at times, I'll admit that." Thorin placed his hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "But I kept believing that we could do it, that you could do it."

* * *

Bilbo was dressed at his finest for the upcoming crowning. His red jacket was freshly washed and the polished buttons gleamed, he wore a crisp new white shirt with not a wrinkle in sight, and his dark green trousers were free of dirt. He had Sting with him, the ring he'd taken from Gollum in his pocket, and he held his trusty walking stick.

"You look like you're ready for a whole new adventure," commented Thorin when he saw him. "Believe me, the crowning won't be as intense as the dwarves act like it'll be."

"I just liked the outfit." replied Bilbo.

"Well, you certainly won't be mistaken for a dwarf dressed like that." He turned his head downwards. "No shoes?"

Bilbo chuckled. "You've known me long enough to know that I don't like shoes. It messes up my finely haired feet."

Thorin rolled his eyes. "Fine, do as you wish with those feet of yours."

"Uncle," said Kili. "It's nearly time for the crowning. You're prepared, aren't you?"

Thorin turned to Kili, who was standing by the doorway, and nodded. "I was just having a last minute discussion with our burglar."

"Of course," said Kili. "Talk as you please. I'm excited to see you crowned."

Once Kili had left, Thorin turned to face Bilbo. He put his hand on his shoulder once more. "I'm sorry that the discussion must be ended so quickly."

"No, I understand. You've been waiting your entire life to be king, so I shouldn't make you wait any longer."

"But this will be the last time you ever speak to the prince under the mountain. Wouldn't you like the moment to last?"

"I would," said Bilbo, then smiled. He squeezed Thorin's hand, his hand much smaller than Thorin's own. "But I'd much rather speak with the king under the mountain."

* * *

Hobbits liked fine food, but dwarves absolutely loved it. It could even be said that they lived for it. Besides their great riches, there was also great feasting. Plates were covered in food, and dwarves seemed to eat endlessly. There were desserts of very kind, and roasting meat covered in seasons. Bilbo was also trying foods he'd never even heard of.

"I've been waiting for this feast," said Bombur. "I was sick and tired of living off mere scraps on our adventure. This is what I call food."

"Out of curiosity, why is the crowning after the feast? Shouldn't it be first and the feast afterward?" Bilbo asked.

Gloin chuckled. "You've got quite a bit to learn about dwarves, Baggins. We love feasting almost as much as our gold, and we'll do anything for it. Besides, it's Thorin's final supper as the prince of Erebor."

As if on queue, Thorin walked up to the group, past the large crowd of admiring peasants. He was dressed incredibly well, though he still looked as though he was going to war at any minute. "How's the food?" he questioned. In his hand he held a plate larger than his head, and food was covering every inch of it.

Bilbo smiled. "It's absolutely delicious."

"Take as much as you'd like, there's far more to go around. Last night certainly was nothing compared to what today is."

Bilbo nodded. "Last night seemed like an appetizer. I'm just glad there were only thirteen dwarves when we first met at my hobbit hole. When you came you ate almost everything in my pantry and drank nearly all my ale, but that was nothing compared to this!"

Thorin chuckled. "What can I say? Dwarves will eat enough food to last them for a good month and yet we will still be hungry."

"I know that now."

"What is it like, back at that place you lived at?" Thorin asked.

"They're probably just auctioning off everything I own because they presume me dead. I can't say anyone would actually miss me, and by now there's no real reason to go back. Besides, I'm sure I'd be much happier here."

* * *

Thorin stood in front of his throne, the Arkenstone cradled in his large hands. He wore a large golden crown, and he'd been adorned in sparkling jewels that now covered his entire body.

"All hail the king," said the dwarves, and everyone, including Bilbo, bowed. "Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror, we declare you our king until the day you live here no longer. All hail the new king under the mountain."

"You may rise," said Thorin, his voice loud and commanding.

Everyone did so as told, then cheered. The sound echoed throughout the large hall, and it seemed as though all of Middle-Earth, even the hobbits of the shire, could hear the cries of the dwarves and one hobbit who finally had their king and kingdom back.

**Author's Note:** Wow, I had no idea the story could become so popular in such a short time. Here you guys go. I should post more tomorrow if I'm not busy.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, you're king," said Bilbo. He patted his friend on the back in congratulations. "You did it."

"I couldn't have done it without you, burglar."

Bilbo felt his face go red, and he turned away from him. "Really, Thorin, it was nothing."

"Don't say that," Thorin replied. "You saved us from so many things during your adventure. Do you have to be so humble all the time? Appreciate yourself for once, halfling." He smirked. "It's the orders of the king."

"If you insist," he said. He raised his hand towards his face, then took a step back. "I present to you Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who single handedly saved you all."

"That's more like it," Thorin said. He put his arm around Bilbo's back. "You'll sound like a dwarf in no time." He messed up Bilbo's orange hair with his hand, and Bilbo quickly tried to fix it. "Don't throw a fit about it."'

Bilbo raised his right eyebrow. "Let me guess, that's an order of the king?"

"How did you know?"

"It had to have been a lucky guess."

* * *

Bilbo sat in his room, staring up at his dark ceiling. It had been a long day and he was certainly exhausted, but he couldn't sleep for some reason. He lay awake, thinking about what happened that day, his various adventures, and everything that had changed. In such a short time he himself had tremendously changed, and he was no longer the scared little hobbit who hid in his hobbit hole. Now he was. . . Who was he exactly? He couldn't tell; he was Bilbo Baggins, but that seemed to be all he knew about himself at that point.

He heard his door open lightly, and he turned to see who was there. From the dim light he could tell little about who the person was.

"Is something wrong?" Bilbo asked, then hesitated. What if he was in danger?

"It's just me," said a familiar voice.

"Thorin? Why are you awake at this time?" Bilbo felt both angry at Thorin for opening his door at what was likely the middle of the night, but also angry at himself for being scared. As if anything other than dwarves could get into the mountain!

"Sorry to startle you," he said. "Though I'm going to take a guess and say that my apology doesn't matter now, and I understand that. If you're angry at me, Bilbo, then just be angry at me. I deserve it."

"No, I was just surprised you were awake." Bilbo was incredibly embarrassed. "Let's just forget about it, alright?"

Thorin nodded, then walked in, closing the door behind him. "I didn't wake you, did I? If I did, I apologize."

"You didn't mean to," Bilbo said.

"So I did wake you?" He sounded distressed.

"No," he said. "I was awake before that."

"And to think I got worried about you." His tone was sarcastic.

"I'm guessing that you couldn't sleep either."

"One thing you don't get guaranteed when you're a king is a good night sleep." He yawned. "I'm afraid I'll be out of it tomorrow, but it seems like there's nothing that I can do about it."

"I'm sorry." Bilbo sat up on the edge of his bed, then patted the space next to him. "You can sit with me if you'd like, if you'd allow me to pass the hours with you."

"Why? So you can bore me to sleep?" Thorin laughed, then walked over and sat down on the bed. "So, what do you wish to speak of?"

"Whatever you wish," Bilbo replied. He scooted closer to his friend. "How does it feel to be king?"

"It's like being prince except I'm even more highly respected."

"There was no radical change?"

"I expected there to be one, but it never came." Thorin touched Bilbo's hand, then began to rub the top of it. Bilbo had no idea what to say, and he was sure it'd be seen as rude to pull away from him, so he let Thorin continue. It was certainly nice, and it felt good despite Thorin's rough fingers. "Though I do feel somehow more important, though I don't know why."

"How did you expect to feel?"

"I never thought about it?"

"Why did you never believe that we could beat Smaug and gain back Erebor?"

"Because it seemed impossible, and besides, you said that you were sure you'd be king."

"You have a good point." Thorin lay on his back now, though he was still rubbing the top of Bilbo's hand. "Are all hobbits like you?"

Bilbo was surprised by the sudden change of conversation, but he answered it casually, like he hadn't even noticed. "I'm respected among the hobbits, or at least I was. I never really did like many of the hobbits, though, and at times I would hear rumors that I was 'anti-social'."

"Those bastards!" yelled Thorin.

"Do you want to wake up the whole mountain?" Bilbo whispered. He half expected for his words to come true and to hear every dwarf get up and question what that sound had been.

"Sorry, I just got a bit carried away. You certainly don't seem antisocial, Bilbo. You seem to be enjoying the company of other dwarves and speak with them quickly and naturally."

"Thank you, but I guess hobbits just like to keep to themselves. I could care less what they say about me."

"I'm glad."

Bilbo lay down next to him, their hands entwined. He didn't know what it meant or why his heart was beating so fast, but he let Thorin continue to rub his hand.

"Are you proud of me?" asked Thorin.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you proud that I'm now king?"

"I'm glad you are king, and I guess you could say that I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, halfling. That means a lot."

"It does?"

"I haven't been king for more than a day and someone's already proud of me. I'll take that as a sign that I'll rule well."

Bilbo smiled. "Feel free to."

That's when Thorin kissed him. It wasn't on his cheek, but on the lips, and suddenly his body was over Bilbo's. Bilbo was speechless, both shocked and incredibly happy.

"Do it again," he said. "I like it."

"I will," he said, then did it again, this time a little harder, but still gentle. While he did that he ran his fingers through Bilbo's hair, messing it up more, but Bilbo could have cared less at that point.

* * *

"Uncle Thorin," said a weak voice.

"You're supposed to call him king!" said a louder voice.

Bilbo sat up, then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked around the room, then noticed Thorin next to him, who was also busy waking up.

"Fili, Kili," said Thorin. "Can I just have five more minutes?"

The two said yes, then scampered off, closing the door behind them.

"They just had to interrupt us," muttered Thorin, who wrapped his arm around Bilbo's shoulder. "Sorry they had to wake you up." He sat up, removed his clutch on Bilbo, then stretched his arms out. "I guess I might as well get up and do my kingly duties. What are your plans for today?"

"I don't know yet."

Thorin smiled. "Freshen yourself up and feel free to join me."

Bilbo nodded, a smile stretched out across his face. "I'd love to."

"It may get boring at times, though."

"No, I'd like it."

"Then get ready so that we can continue with the day." He messed up Bilbo's hair once more. "Thanks for helping me fall asleep, Halfling."

"It was nothing." Bilbo stood up and stretched out his legs. "It shouldn't take long for me to get ready."

"Good." There was a gleam in Thorin's eyes. "I'll make sure to hold you to that."

**Author's Note:** Wow, I'm so glad that so many people are enjoying this. This is the most popular fic I've ever written and it hasn't been on this site for even two days. This means so much to me.


	4. Chapter 4

"Today was horrifically boring," said Bilbo.

"I told you," Thorin replied. "But would you listen? No, of course not."

"Fine, I'll listen to the prestigious and highly ranked king more often," said Bilbo, who held his arms up in mock sorrow. "Since I do want to be in good standing with Erebor royalty."

* * *

"Uncle," said Kili, "when do you plan on courting Bilbo Baggins?"

Thorin choked on his meat, then began to cough it out. "Court him?" he asked once his mouth and throat was free of food.

"I'm surprised he hasn't done it by now," Fili added.

"Yes, how long must we wait?" Balin questioned. "You're terrible at hiding it, Thorin."

"He tried at least," Bombur said. "Still, he failed."

Thorin scowled, then hit the table with his fist, knocking some of the plates back. "My personal matters are not for you fools to gossip about!"

The table turned silent, everyone trying to get their plates back to normal, and wiping up any major spills. A tension filled the room, one that grew larger and larger the longer that Thorin raged.

"We're sorry, uncle," said Kili after some time, breaking the silence, the knife to cut the tension. "We will not question you on such personal matters anymore, and we also will not do anything like that ever again."

"That's a wise decision," said Thorin.

Everyone agreed to not mention it again, as if they feared the very mention of it was certain death.

* * *

Bilbo sat reading, then down at his maps. He'd begun to make his own maps of their journey, making notes all over the papers about their journey. He'd also started to keep a journal about his adventures so that he wouldn't forget what happened. There were so many important things that he knew he wouldn't remember if he let his mind stray to other things.

That's when he felt two strong, warm arms wrap around his waist. "Hello, burglar," said Thorin. "You were so bored by today that you decided to dwell in other boring things?"

"Books are not boring!" He placed down his diary, then closed it.

"Yes they are," Thorin responded. "They're just words on paper that do nothing but help you go to sleep."

"I take offense to that," said Bilbo, crossing his arms. "You'd realize the truth if you were to actually crack open a book for once instead of cracking open the head of an orc."

"And I take offense to that," said Thorin. "Killing orcs is quite respectable among dwarves, and you should understand that now that you are an adopted dwarf."

_Imagine if you'd come back to the shire with me and tried to live among the hobbits,_ thought Bilbo. _You would've turned the whole shire upside down and not even given it a second thought, not to mention any and all forms of clothing would've looked terrible on you._

"I don't believe I want to put my life in danger just so that I may be considered a true dwarf." He looked down at his diary, then back up at Thorin. "I have a proposition for you."

Thorin raised his right eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'll get you into books," he said. "I'll tell you a story."

"And what kind of story is that?" Thorin seemed completely confident that he would never be interested in stories, no matter what kind it was.

"An adventure story," replied Bilbo.

"I've gone enough adventures to not need a single story about them except for my own."

"You'll like it."

"And how do you know that?"

"I know you well."

"Oh, do you?"

Bilbo nodded. "Now, would you like me to do it?"

"Fine, you may tell me this adventure story as you call it, though I am sure that it will compare nothing to what we went through." He pointed to Bilbo's bed. "But I have one condition."

"What?" asked Bilbo, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. He couldn't mean to-to?

"You are braid my beard," said Thorin. "It's starting to come undone."

Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief. "What, you can't do it yourself?" He smirked. "What a lazy king you are."

"I don't have time for this, Baggins."

"Fine, I will braid your beard."

"It's not that I don't believe that I can braid my beard, it is that I believe that you can braid it better."

Bilbo's face turned red as a ripe apple. "Well, I guess I'll have to agree to your terms if you'll agree to mine. Let's get started then."

The two lay side by side on the bed, Bilbo feeling his friend's warm body.

_Friend,_ he thought. _What exactly are we, especially after the events of last night? It feels wrong to call him my friend now, but I don't know what to call him now other than Thorin._

"Begin the story," said Thorin.

"I will," said Bilbo. "Once, there was a man."

Thorin yawned. "How unoriginal, I know quite a few men."

"As I was saying," said Bilbo, "there was a man. His hair was an unnatural red and his skin was a shade of red, and wings shot out of his back, which sparkled in the sun. He was considered both a blessing and a curse." Bilbo braided with efficiency and neatness.

"Oh, what a special man he is," replied Thorin sarcastically. "Let me guess: He goes on an adventure to become normal and does."

"No," said Bilbo. "He is after treasure."

"You're doing little to keep my attention."

"Just let me continue the damn story! As I was saying, he went on an adventure in search of treasure, he met a man who had been changed greatly by a treasure he thought he loved."

"What an incredible work of literature," commented Thorin. "I hope you finish braiding my beard soon."

"He and this man traveled with some large men with the power to turn things to stone. They went through great hardships to get this treasure, making allies with some creatures, but making bitter rivalries with others."

Thorin put his large finger on Bilbo's lips. "I'm going to be blunt: I do not care. But, since this done mean so much to you. . ." Thorin sighed heavily, a look of defeat on his face. "Then I shall read a book."

Bilbo hugged Thorin tightly. "I knew you'd come around eventually."

Bilbo didn't see Thorin's smile.

**Author's Note:** Wow, I'm glad everyone likes this story. The next chapter will be the adventures of Thorin trying to read a book. Oh yeah, if you didn't get it, the red guy with wings was Smaug, the guy who was changed by an object he held precious was Gollum, and the ones who could turn things to stone were the trolls. I don't know when I'll have time to update next, sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

Bilbo's smile covered his entire face, and a large red book filled his hands. To Thorin it was the size of the Lonely Mountains, no, the size of all of Middle Earth.

"I never agreed to read such a large book!" Thorin said. "How do you expect me to do this?"

"But you said you'd read a book," Bilbo replied with a frown. "You never specified that you'd only read a small one. Besides, this one is magnificent. Would it really be too hard to read a book?"

"Yes," Thorin said, forcing a smile. "But I'm sure that any hobbit as fine as you could at least pick me out a suitable book."

_Damn it!_ Thorin thought. _What absolutely horrendous mating rituals these hobbits have!_ But he sighed in defeat when he saw how happy he was. He knew he couldn't just break the poor little hobbit's heart. Besides, he couldn't say no to that cu-to Bilbo's happy face.

Thorin held the weight in his arm, and he was surprised that Bilbo could carry the weight himself. "This might take me a while to finish. Maybe I shouldn't, since I am so busy already being king. . ."

"You don't have to read it all at once!" He opened the book, then flipped some pages before handing the book back. "Just read to page twenty tonight for me. Is that alright?"

"It'll be perfect."

"Thank you, Thorin! You'll love it." Bilbo jumped up with glee, then ran over and gave the dwarf a hug.

_He's definitely excited about this, _thought Thorin.

* * *

When Thorin finished, surprised that the story had amused him. It was a story of hobbits, though he really wasn't surprised that they were the main protagonists. The story wasn't well developed in the first twenty pages, but he knew Bilbo would make him read the rest later whether he wanted to or not.

The halls of Erebor were mostly empty, everyone having gone off to their sleeping quarters other than a few dwarves, most of them drunk, stumbled around Erebor. He yelled at them to stay safe as he didn't want to deal with accidents so early on after his crowning.

That's when Thorin saw it. His jaw hung open, and he had to rub his eyes and open and reopen them to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating. Bilbo was talking casually with Fili, and holding a book out to him. It couldn't have been more than forty-five minutes and already he'd forgotten Thorin for his own nephew! He didn't bother trying to hide his anger, just marched up to Bilbo, grabbed him, and pulled him back to his room, ignoring the cries of his confused nephew.

"Thorin, what the hell is going on?" Bilbo asked angrily.

"What were you just doing with my nephew?"

"I was loaning him a book," Bilbo said. He put his hands on his hips and then turned his nose up at Thorin. "What was so wrong with that?"

"Why did you leave me for my nephew! Why are you hobbits so strange with your mating rituals?" He hoped that Bilbo had just been asking for approval.

Bilbo burst out laughing, and he had to lean over, as if his side were hurting. "You thought that I was asking you to marry me when I gave you that book?"

Thorin nodded. "You acted as if it was of great importance. . ."

Bilbo continued laughing. "I was just giving you a book!" He grabbed Thorin's hand. "I like you, Thorin, and I can see why you'd think of me in the same way, but giving you a book doesn't mean I want to marry you." He let go of Thorin's hand and then walked off, his hairy feet gleaming in the light. "At least not yet."

Thorin thought about those words, repeating through his mind. Bilbo _did_ care about him. Just as the hobbit was about to open the door, he grabbed him, then pulled him in. His lips were warm, and his tongue mingled with his. He ran his fingers through his hair and along his back. It was like the night a few days before, but different. Bilbo seemed to be responding, running his hand through Thorin's long hair. They were standing together, their bodies together. Bilbo was against the door and his arms were around Thorin.

"This is nice," Bilbo said once they took a break to breathe. "This is really, really nice."

Thorin smirked. "Would you like to continue?" He looked embarrassed. "And sorry about what I did earlier; I should've realized that you weren't doing anything wrong."

"Believe me, I know how hot-headed and easy to anger you are."

Thorin scowled. "I know how annoying you can be."

* * *

_Why did I have to call it mating rituals?_ Thorin asked himself the next day. _Perhaps I should've been more subtle about it. . . No, of course I should have. Now how do I apologize to him?_

"Kili," Thorin said. "I need to talk to you."

"Yes, uncle," said Kili. "What is it that you'd like to speak of? Is it the repairing of destroyed halls? The reconstruction is going perfectly fine."

"Not that," Thorin said. "How do I admit certain things?"

Kili looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Was I speaking in Elvish?" He suddenly wanted to strangle Kili. Was his question not simple enough?

"Is this about Bilbo?"

Thorin's face turned red. "Can you just answer the question already, or do you feel that you haven't already wasted enough of my time?"

"Uncle, just admit the truth to him. He'll be so happy if you do."

"I can't just tell him the truth. If only it were that simple then my life would be a million times easier."

"You're only making things harder for yourself."

He scowled. "Fine," Thorin said, crossing his arms over his large chest. "I will tell him."

"You swear? You know that you do stupid things when you are proud."

"I swear that I will."

"Then do it." Kili pointed towards Bilbo's room. "He's waiting."

**Author's Note:** It's kind of obvious where this is going.


	6. Chapter 6

"I love you," Thorin said.

The hobbit smirked. "Oh, I never would have guessed."

The dwarf scratched his head nervously. "Now that I think back, it was pretty obvious." As they'd done before, he wrapped his arms around Bilbo's waist, embracing him in a tight hug. "At least you know now for sure."

Bilbo replied, "Yes, at least I now do."

Neither discussed what it meant for the future, of Erebor or of themselves. All that mattered was that those two were intertwined, their bodies fitting together perfectly.

The kisses between the two started softly, but as time went on, and they didn't know how long they stayed together that way, the kisses grew longer, harder. Thorin's tongue searched around Bilbo's, and he ran his large hands over his back and hair. Bilbo tried to do so in return, but in the end just ran his hands through Thorin's long hair.

When they finally released each other, their breathing was fast and rhythmic.

"D-Did you like it?" Thorin asked. He hated sounding nervous, but he couldn't hide the nervous tone of his voice. It was embarrassing.

"Did Smaug intimidate us all?" was all Bilbo replied with, a smirk dancing across his lips.

Thorin smiled, then wrapped his arms around his hobbit again. "I absolutely loved it." He wanted to do it again and again, and he was already counting down the time - days, hours, minutes, seconds - until he was sure that they could do it again. Every clock seemed to be moving at the slowest rate possible, and it was like the time they could do it again would never come.

* * *

They didn't ask any questions when they woke up. They'd reached courtship and all it entailed, though neither felt really different. There was no life-change, but neither could say that they were disappointed about it.

"Did you sleep well?" Thorin asked. There was no implied undertones, he was simply asking Bilbo if he'd slept alright.

Bilbo yawned. "Yes, it was a peaceful, uneventful rest."

Thorin sat up and stretched out his arms. "I'd love to do it again."

"Not now," Bilbo said. "Maybe later."

"Later tonight?"

"Maybe."

_I hope so,_ thought Thorin, a smile on his face. Just the idea filled him with glee, and he couldn't help but smile for the rest of the day, and there was a skip in his step. It seemed that he just couldn't hide his happiness.

* * *

"I have to read another book?" asked Thorin. He'd been overjoyed all day, and he'd spread his happiness with everyone. Now it was vanishing right before his eyes, replaced by the dread of having to read another old, dusty, and incredibly boring book.

"Uncle should be like this every day," Fili had commented, then snickered, and Thorin hadn't even gotten angry at him.

"It's not that hard," Bilbo said. "Besides, I'll do something for you in return. And you'll be pleased to know that the book I have chosen is quite shorter than the one from before."

"Oh, I am just so pleased to hear that," said Thorin sarcastically. He sighed. "In return, you read it out loud to me if you are so passionate about it."

"But I want you to read it alone," Bilbo said.

"I'd like to enjoy it with you."

"You're only saying that to get me to do what you want." Bilbo put his hands on his hips. "Is reading a book really this hard for you?" He raised one of his orange eyebrows, looking rather impatient, and began to tap one of his large, hairy feet on the floor, making a repetitive tapping sound that echoed across the large room.

Thorin sighed, giving him his answer, "Yes."

Bilbo looked angry and embarrassed. "I'll do it."

Thorin smiled, then handed the hobbit the blue hardback book that he'd been handed, then dragged him to his bed. "Let's begin then."

**Author's Note:** The reason this chapter is so short is because I want opinions. I haven't gotten many reviews and I'm paranoid that no one cares enough to review it. So, in the review, please state if you want Bilbo to read Thorin a story out loud or not. It's a small thing, but it'd mean a lot to me. In return, the next chapter will be longer and posted by Thursday this week at the latest.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, are you going to start reading?" Thorin looked cross. "You were so excited about it minutes ago."

Bilbo continued flipping pages. "I'm trying to get into the mood."

"And why is it taking over ten minutes to get into 'the mood'? What is this mood anyway?"

"I have to make sure to capture the emotions of the characters."

Thorin groaned. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious," replied Bilbo. "Maybe if you read then you'd begin to understand." Bilbo cleared his throat, then held the book up closer to him. "In the mountains of the land of Gemday," he began.

"You're in the mood now?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo nodded, trying to suppress his anger. "Yes, I am in the mood."

"Well, it took you long enough."

"Can you just let me keep reading before I lose the mood?"

Thorin raised his arms in surrender. "Do as you please."

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," said Bilbo, "was that in the mountains in the land of Gemday-"

"What's Gemday? Why do these creatures live on a mountain? This isn't like your last story, is it? I hated that story."

Bilbo clenched his teeth together. "No, it's not the same story, and you'll learn what Gemday is later on in the story."

"I want to know what it is now."

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to follow along with the story if I don't even know what Gemday is?"

"Do you think all of Middle Earth will be destroyed if you don't know what Gemday is?"

Thorin crossed his large arms over his chest. "No, but it would be appreciated by me if you would tell me what it is."

"Gemday is a land in another world called Ooranist, where there's an outbreak of evil magic, and the main character must prevent everyone from turning evil." Bilbo frowned. "There, do you need any more explanations?"

"Yes," Thorin said.

Bilbo sighed.

_Why did I ever ask?_ he thought. _I should've known that he would do something like this._

"You said they lived on a mountain, and does that mean they're like us?"

"A little," Bilbo said. "They're not rich, as there is no gold or jewels on their mountain. Instead, there is safety from monsters, but not much else."

"Why is there no gold and treasure on their mountain?"

"Because not every mountain can be gifted with great treasure."

"I feel bad for them."

"At least I can say that you are already building emotions towards these characters," said Bilbo. "I'll act as though I'm happy about that."

Thorin frowned, a genuine look of concern crossing over his pale face. "What do you mean by pretend that you're happy about that?"

"I wish you'd build emotional connections to them after I've read more than one paragraph of the damn book!"

Thorin smirked. "You're adorable when you get concerned like this."

"Thorin!" Bilbo said angrily.

"Sorry," Thorin said. "Allow me to clarify: You are always adorable."

Bilbo closed the book. "I give up, you have defeated me. Congratulate yourself now or whatever it is you were planning on doing."

"Bilbo, I didn't mean for that to happen." He wrapped his arm around Bilbo's shoulder, then opened the book for him again with his large fingers. "Here, you may continue reading to me."

"No," Bilbo said.

"What do you mean no?"

"I don't want to do this anymore if you will keep rudely interrupting me every two seconds. Can I finish one single sentence without your commentary and annoying questions?"

"I'm sorry." Thorin looked sad once more.

"You should be."

"I'll let you continue reading and I won't make commentary on it or ask stupid questions. I'm sorry about what I did earlier."

"No," Bilbo said, crossing his much smaller arms over his own chests with a huff. "I refuse to read any more to you tonight."

"But Bilbo, I promise to not be rude to you again!"

"I don't care, I refuse to read to you." He grabbed the book and dropped it onto the dwarves lap with a heavy clunk. "You have to read it to me, Thorin."

"What, I never agreed to this!" Thorin was completely outraged by this. What did his hobbit think was okay about this? "Why do I have to read this to you when you agreed to read it to me?"

Bilbo said nothing.

"Say something, it's the order of the king! So long as you live here, you will treat me as any dwarf does, and that is with respect. Now say something!"

"I'd like you to read to me to see how I feel," was all he said.

"Fine," Thorin replied. "I will. Now where we?"

"You've already forgotten?!"

Thorin turned red as Smaug's body. "N-Never mind, I will find it."

Bilbo simply sat, waiting for him to continue, and he appeared to be growing impatient the longer Thorin continued flipping pages.

_How long is this going to take?_ he asked himself. _It's like he's waiting for me to take it from him and continue right where I left off. That won't work on me this time, Thorin._

Thorin cleared his throat and began to read. "Tell me if I'm not in the mood as you call it. I want to be the best reader that I can be for you."

Bilbo rolled his eyes, knowing that Thorin would never get in the mood. For a moment he regretted allowing Thorin to do this, but decided that he'd still make Thorin do it to see how he always felt whenever he read to him.

"In the mountains of the land of Gemday, a rather small mountain, with few who lived there in that unnamed mountain, there was a man by the name of Rael."

_He's actually doing it,_ Bilbo thought, smiling. _He's actually reading the book out loud to me! It's a pure miracle!_

"Rael was quite an average man, with nothing too important or amazing about him. All his life he had lived in those mountains, listening to the stories that his parents had passed down to him." Thorin cleared his throat again. " 'Now, Rael,' said his mother-"

"That's the voice you're using for his mother?" asked Bilbo. "That's horrible! It sounds too careless, she is quite a serious woman!"

"I'm sorry," Thorin said, then raised his voice. " 'These mountains may be our home, but we should never trust that it will last forever.' "

"Ugh!" Bilbo said. "Now you sound as if you aren't trying in the least."

"I'm sorry that I can never please you, Master Baggins."

Bilbo rolled his eyes. "Fine, you may stop reading. You have succeeded, Thorin."

Thorin smiled, then kissed him happily. "I knew you'd come around."

Bilbo's face turned red, though he couldn't tell whether it was out of embarrassment or anger. "Don't think this is over," he said. "You'll do it again someday!"

Thorin messed up Bilbo's hair, a playful gleam in his eyes, then kissed him again, which made Bilbo's face as red as his jacket had been on their travels. "Oh, we'll see about that."

**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm so glad people love the story and reviewed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here's the new chapter. I'll try to get the next one up soon, hopefully by Friday.


	8. Chapter 8

A few days afterward, Gandalf came with news. Bilbo had been busy plotting ways to once again get Thorin to read a book (and he was probably thinking a bit too deeply, but what else could he do? Thorin wasn't just going to wake up one morning and crack open a book like it was nothing out of the ordinary), but was torn from his thoughts by the wizard's insistent taps on his shoulder.

"What?" Bilbo asked, turning to the much larger wizard.

"I have news," was all the wizard replied with. Sometimes he would stick around in Erebor, other times he would be gone as fast as he came.

"Yes?" Bilbo asked. "What kind of news are they? A-Are they bad news?"

The wizard nodded. "Your cousins-" he began before being cut off by Bilbo.

"My cousins?"

"Yes, Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck along with their young son Frodo-"

Bilbo cut him off again. "Th-they died?" He bit his lip, and though he already knew the answer, he still bit his lip. The wizard's grave voice had told him the truth before he spoke most of his words, along with the way he held his body, as if he did just one thing wrong than it'd put Bilbo into tears.

The wizard nodded.

"What happened to them?"

"There was a boating accident."

It had been some time since he'd visited them, about two or three years, but the last time he'd seen Frodo he had been a young lad, full of life and happiness. Now it was gone, ripped from him in an accident that also took his parents.

All of them were dead.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have told you," the wizard said. "May your life go on well." He turned and left, and though Bilbo wished to stop him, he didn't. The shock was too much for him. All of his cousins, including Frodo, dead? It was impossible, but it was possible, and the possible had happened.

He hadn't felt the pain of grief since his beloved mother had died, when he was sure the Took side of him died along with her. It had taken him a great amount of time to get over her death, but even when he did, he still did everything to keep her memory preserved. It had taken him a great deal of time to forgive the dwarves for what they'd done to his mother's fine collection of dishes and eating utensils. He'd almost felt it again during the battle of the five armies, but it turned to relief when everyone was founded but alive, and they were beginning to recover.

He'd wanted to ask Gandalf if there had been a mistake, that perhaps Frodo had swam to shore and no one had found him, but he knew that was impossible. The shock would've killed Frodo alone, and he'd likely sank beneath the waves without even realizing it, his parents going down with him. What a shame for a group of such fine hobbits to die in such a way, lost to the waves forever.

* * *

Thorin had been too afraid to ask the Halfling what was wrong with him. He hadn't left their room all day, not even to eat, and whenever he came inside he saw him bent over crying. The sight hurt his eyes and the sound tore through his ears. As much as he wanted to see if there was something that he could do to help his hobbit, he knew that it was unlikely that there actually was.

Eventually some of the other dwarves noticed, and it was Bofur who bravely went inside and asked Bilbo what was wrong. When he came back to Thorin, his face was as white as a sheet, and he looked as though he could only stand so many things before collapsing. It was almost as though his very liveliness had been ripped out of him and he couldn't even bring himself to care.

"Bilbo's cousins have died," said Bofur, "including one who was merely at the age of twelve."

Thorin's face turned even paler than Bofur's. He'd never asked Bilbo much about his family, though Bilbo knew all about Thorin's. He regretted not asking a few polite questions, but he knew now they would do little for him.

Eventually, though Thorin had no idea how much time had passed since he'd heard the news and had finally decided to confront Bilbo. The inside of their room was filled with an invisible wall of dread, and it nearly swallowed Thorin whole. Bilbo turned to face him, having heard the sound of the door opening, his eyes red and puffy. He suddenly seemed to look as though ten years had passed him.

Thorin sat next to him, and though he was nervous, he knew he had to do it. He released a sigh that he hadn't realized he'd been holding, then held Bilbo's shoulders. "What happened?"

"My cousins died, all three of them, Primula, Frodo, and Drogo."

"That's terrible."

Bilbo nodded. "I can't even believe the whole thing happened, but it did." Be began to cry again. "And they were all so young, Frodo being only twelve. He was such a young lad but now he's already rotting in his grave! This wasn't supposed to happen." As if on instinct, he leaned in closer to Thorin, and began to cry in his shoulder. Thorin began to gently rub his back, though he refused to do much more out of fear of offending him.

* * *

When Thorin finally convinced Bilbo to leave his room, to escape from the wall of despair, he brought him to the dining hall and ordered the finest. Despite giving him heaping plates of the finest food any dwarf could wish for, Bilbo mostly played with it before finally forcing a few bites down his throat. Any other dwarves who came in and sat down to eat were all silent. The great wall of despair had moved, and now resided in the dining hall of Erebor.

"Do you think there is any way to comfort him?" Thorin asked Ori.

Ori shook his head, a look of pure sadness in his eyes.

Thorin sighed, then stared back at Bilbo. He was losing his color and turning into a living ghost. He had to figure something out if he wanted him to ever get better, though he still couldn't figure out just how to do it.

**Author's Note:** Yeah, Frodo's dead. Hey, I said it was an AU! I want to write how everyone responds to this. Oh yeah, I got the chapter posted a day early! Hooray!


	9. Chapter 9

Had he expected to ever leave Erebor to ever visit his family? Bilbo Baggins hadn't really thought of leaving. He never really had time to visit his family, but now that he thought about it, he realized how selfish that seemed. The only family members he'd ever truly cared for were now all dead, and soon would be going to their graves. Even if he wanted to go see their bodies, and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it emotionally, it'd be months before he got there, even if the roads were miraculously safe.

He wanted to eat, he wanted to be happy, but he felt that if he did anything it would be an offense against his dead family members. How could he enjoy life like this when they couldn't? Especially poor Frodo.

The last time he'd seen him had been on a visit. With him, Bilbo had brought pies that he'd asked for a neighbor to bake for him in exchange for some money. The young hobbit's eyes had grown as wide as saucers and he'd let out a happy cry. "Thank you, Uncle Bilbo!"

"It was nothing, Frodo." he'd replied.

His parents had thanked the hobbit greatly.

"You're so nice to the boy," Primula had said. "No wonder the little lad likes you."

He'd taken the little hobbit in his arms some time later and given him a hug, then let him sit on his shoulders. When he was done with that, he'd told him stories from books he'd read.

He would've loved to have been told the story of his quests. Inside his mind he imagined the whole thing. Bilbo sat in front of the fireplace next to Frodo, a map of Middle-Earth in his lap along with various dwarf trinkets. He could hear himself describing everything in detail, and Frodo sat in awe, asking him questions about it.

"Uncle," he imagined Frodo saying. "Can you tell me more about your traveling companions? Oh, and I want to hear more about the dragon."

Bilbo imagined himself smiling and explaining everything, from how the dwarves and Bilbo originally hated each other to where they were incredibly close, to meeting Smaug for the first time and trying his hardest to be confident. As he said each word, Frodo's eyes never left his, and inside Bilbo's imagination he was forever in awe at the older hobbit instead of being six feet under dirt.

"What was the dragon's lair liked?" Frodo asked. "Was it scary?"

"Frodo, scary was quite an understatement. I was terrified of Smaug, and with good reason, but I kept going because I knew my friends needed me. I was their burglar, and they needed me to steal from right under a dragon's nose. When I signed up for it, I knew that it'd eventually come to that point or something worse. I can't ever say that I regret my choice of leaving the Shire and going on my adventure with the dwarves."

"How did you kill Smaug?"

Bilbo imagined himself lying, saying that he himself killed the dragon. It wasn't to make himself seem heroic, it was merely to entertain the boy.

"You're amazing, uncle!" he imagined Frodo saying, jumping slightly when he said the words. "I can't believe you did that."

"But I did it anyway, my dear boy."

A smile spread across the boy's face, and he looked adorable, with his head cocked and the light reflecting off of his dark, curly hair, a dimple in his cheek sticking out. "When I grow up I want to be just like you!"

Bilbo didn't even notice the tears in his eyes. It was as if in only a short period of time they'd become second nature to him, and he was so used to their presence there that it was as though they'd always been there. As if he were always the crying little hobbit who couldn't even begin to comprehend how his own family members were dead.

* * *

Thorin knew his plan was idiotic (there was just no way for even him to deny it), that it'd probably seem completely wrong at this point, but it was the only plan he had, and he was sure that it would be better to do something idiotic than nothing at all. He dug through a room filled with treasure, looking for the one thing that would be right for the occasion. He wasn't satisfied with just any ring, no, he needed a beautiful matching set that spoke to Bilbo about why he truly cared for him.

He didn't want to but he needed to do it, and even if it seemed regrettable, he was sure that in the end it would be for the best.

* * *

Thorin could hear Bilbo whispering from outside their door, but he was too afraid to open it. Was it wrong to be doing this? He didn't know, but ultimately forced himself to do it.

"Frodo," he heard Bilbo whisper. It was hard to hear him, but he forced himself to do it the best that he could. "Thorin would've really liked you, and I'm sure that you would've gotten along fine with him. Fili and Kili surely would've kept you on your toes, and maybe made everyone else trip on theirs." He could hear the hobbit begin to cry, the sound causing him to cringe. Oh why did this have to happen to him? Hadn't he already faced enough troubles? When times had been hard on their journey, Bilbo had done his best to keep the dwarf prince happy, even given him extra food when the hobbit himself had turned into a stick. Bilbo had shown his feelings for him in so many ways, and it was high time that Thorin returned the favor.

Thorin felt that now was a good a time as any to finally open the door. He forced himself to do so, telling himself that it was for the best, for both himself and for Bilbo.

Bilbo turned to face him, then just as quickly turned away from him to quickly rub the tears from his eyes. "Oh, Thorin. . ." he said, trying to muster up another emotion other than sadness, but the hobbit failed miserably.

Thorin swallowed the lump in his throat, walked up to the hobbit, then got down on his knees. He didn't know when their relationship had truly started, but it needed to go a step further. He took the ring out of his pocket, pure gold with a bright blue sapphire on it. "Bilbo," he said. "Will you give me the honor of marrying you?"

Bilbo looked shocked, then said yes. "I'd be happy to."

**Author's Note:** So people were mad that I killed Frodo so to make up for it here's an extra chapter for the day. Seriously, I let three characters that canonically die live and everything's fine but the moment I kill another character I get outrage.

Yeah, and if you think it's a dumb idea for Thorin to get Bilbo too worked up about getting married to remember that he's grieving, then yes, you are right. But this _is _Thorin we're talking about.


	10. Chapter 10

Sometimes Bilbo felt sad for being sad. Though he'd cared for Frodo, he hadn't known him nearly as well has others had, the people he viewed as worthy of mourning. Besides, he wouldn't be able to make it to his funeral if he tried, so he might as well move on with his life. It was unlikely that he'd have been able to see Frodo much due to the hectic problems he was dealing with already because of rebuilding Erebor, and he probably wouldn't have even given much thought to him. Bilbo honestly couldn't remember one time during his journey where he'd thought about his family members, let alone Frodo.

He told himself that if he married Thorin that things would be better, and he believed himself.

* * *

"Uncle sure seems jittery," said Kili to his lighter-haired brother.

"You're right," replied Fili. "What do you think could be the matter with him? He's usually on time for his lessons."

"Lessons" was the term used for Thorin's long, drawn-out speeches he gave to them about what one of them would have to do once he was dead as one of them would have to take his place as king. They were quite boring, and though they acted as though they were listening, the two could care less about hearing their uncle rant endlessly, never seeming to run out of words to say.

"Maybe he cancelled it," said Kili.

"That would be a miracle," replied Fili. "And you know what he says about miracles." Fili raised his voice, doing his best impression of his uncle. " 'Miracles do not happen, boys! I want you to remember that. If miracles happened then I wouldn't have had to wait sixty years to defeat Smaug!' "

Kili laughed. "You captured him absolutely perfectly."

"Thank you very much," replied Fili.

Only seconds afterwards, Thorin walked into the room. The two hoped that Thorin hadn't heard them, but from his footsteps, quick and light instead of slow and full of purpose as normal, he seemed happy.

"Uncle!" the two said in unison.

"Hello," he replied, his voice far less serious than it normally was. "I have news."

"Yes?" Kili asked.

"What is it?" Fili added. "We'd love to hear it."

Thorin smirked. "Who said it was good?"

Fili froze. "Oh, well, now that you say it like that. . ."

Thorin chuckled. "The news isn't good, it's fantastic!"

"What is it?" Kili asked.

"Master Baggins," said Thorin.

"Yes?" Fili asked.

"Has just accepted my hand in marriage!"

"That's fabulous, Uncle!" said Kili.

"Yes, congratulations!" added Fili. "We're very happy for you."

"Good," said Thorin, a twinkle in his sapphire blue eyes. "Because we're about to tell everyone else."

* * *

Bilbo wanted it done quickly and Thorin wanted to draw it out so that every dwarf in Erebor could learn more about Bilbo and why he'd been chosen by Thorin. Bilbo wanted to have it done in the royal wing, but Thorin insisted that the royal wing was private, and they should wait until other parts of Erebor were finished being renovated and have the ceremony there. To that, Bilbo told him that it could take years for a single wing to be finished.

"You're quite excited about this, aren't you, Bilbo?" Thorin asked jokingly. "I guess you can't wait to be able to officially proclaim that I'm yours, and I guess that I can't blame you for that. If I were going to be marrying myself then I'd be completely ecstatic as well."

"You're quite the modest one," replied Bilbo sarcastically.

"I've been with you in bed," Thorin replied. "And you know that I was far from modest with you."

Bilbo's face turned redder than it had even been before in his life.

Thorin chuckled. "I guess we can meet in the middle. How about six months from now once the dwarves are more in settled down in Erebor?"

Bilbo sighed. "Fine, that'll work."

"I'm sure we'll find one good wing in here to have the ceremony," replied Bilbo. "I just can't see why we can't do it in the one where the feast was held, or where there was the crowning."

"I want the hall to be special," replied Thorin.

"Every single one is drowning in gold," replied Bilbo. "What more do you honestly need?"

"I just do what I feel is best," replied Thorin. "Can't you trust me with my ideas for this? Is it really that hard?"

"No," replied Bilbo. "I guess that it isn't."

"I know you don't believe your own words," responded Thorin. He kissed the top of Bilbo's curls, messing up Bilbo's well put-together hair, which caused a startled and slightly angry yelp from the hobbit. Thorin smoothed Bilbo's hair back in place.

* * *

Dinner had been amazing, some of the best wine that Bilbo had ever tasted, and only the finest seasoned meat. As impolite and Tookish as it was, by the end of the night Bilbo was licking his fingers. For once in many, many years, Bilbo felt like acting like a Took. Everyone had been congratulating Bilbo and Thorin for their decision, asking for the date, the plans, and what food would be served.

"We don't know everything yet," replied Thorin.

"We don't know what we're doing at all." said Bilbo, which caused a few laughs from various dwarves.

"We never saw this coming," said Bofur, his hat slightly crooked, a smile on his face. "Congratulations to you two."

"I'm surprised that it hasn't happened already," said Nori jokingly.

"Yes," said Kili. "But I'm sure that quite a few other things have happened between the two, some things that I'm sure by hobbit customs would be rude to mention around the dinner table."

Bilbo's face flushed with embarrassment, but Thorin just laughed and wrapped his arm around Bilbo's shoulders.

"Any plans on children?" asked Gloin.

"I think not," said Bilbo. "They're dirty little things."

"But Bilbo," said Kili, "you're marrying a dirty large thing!"

Bilbo couldn't help but a let out a small, soft laugh. "I think I can only handle one dirty thing at a time."

"We don't need children," said Thorin, "not when we have to deal with you and your brother all the time, Fili! You'll make perfect substitutes."

The two suddenly looked embarrassed, scratching the backs of their heads nervously as everyone stared at them.

"I think that's a perfect plan," said Dwalin.

"See," said Thorin, "some understands!"

* * *

"Uncle," Bilbo imagined Frodo saying. "What scared you the most during your journey?"

"That's a tough question," replied Bilbo. "But I believe it was right before Thorin hugged me and allowed me to be his friend."

"Why?" asked Frodo, his eyes growing larger. "Aren't fire-breathing dragons scarier than a dwarf?"

"I know why you'd see them as scarier," said Bilbo, "but I always was afraid of disappointing the dwarves, especially Thorin in particular. Something about him just wasn't worth disappointing, and right before he accepted me as a friend, I thought I would learn that I'd disappointed him once more. It was actually the only thing that I ever saw as possible."

"So you were really surprised?"

"I could hardly believe the whole thing was happening, but that's not to imply that I wasn't happy about it. In fact, it was one of the happiest moments of my life."

He tried thinking of more, but he couldn't, and his fantasy ended, Frodo vanishing back into the depths of his mind, and would only come out again once Bilbo allowed him to.


	11. Chapter 11

Thorin had nearly died multiple times on their journey, and so had Bilbo. It would seem purposeless for him to suddenly die in a collapse of an Erebor mine, but he went in anyway. Bilbo was worried about him, but did nothing to stop him. He knew it would seem foolish to be scared of him leaving, and he knew perfectly well of all people that he could take care of himself quite well. Bilbo decided to quit worrying and to continue writing out letters to the few hobbits he still cared about.

_To My Dearest Gamgees,_

_Hello, it is I, Bilbo Baggins! This letter may be quite a shock to you all, and I do expect it to be, but I have the greatest news to ever be written. I am not dead, but have simply moved. It seems the Took blood has finally gotten to me, and after going on an adventure with a group of dwarves, something that you've probably heard a great deal of gossip about back in the Shire, I have decided to stay back in the newly reclaimed Erebor. I give my official signature to you, allowing you to take Bag End as your own. If it has been auctioned off, show this signature and you should be able to get it back. If any Sackville-Baggins try to rob you, then damn them all!_

_I cannot say if I will ever return to the Shire, for I have realized there is very little left for me there. Please understand that you all were very dear friends of mine and I couldn't ask for any family better._

_Signed,_

_Bilbo Baggins_

The letter was delivered by a raven, who Bilbo gave a good deal of bread too in return. "Thank you very much," he said to the bird as it ate its food.

The bird squawked in reply, finished its food, and then flew away. Bilbo only wished he knew how long it would take for the Gamgees to receive their letter.

* * *

In retrospect, Bilbo was quite shocked that the whole thing had happened. In the beginning the two had both shared a mutual hatred of each other, and Bilbo was surprised that neither hadn't torn each other to shreds, though Thorin would likely have been the one to have succeeded in that action.

Jumping in front of the orc had been one of the quickest decisions Bilbo had ever made, who usually spent most of his time thinking over whether making a choice was worth it. Sometimes he'd even spend hours planning on what he'd make for dinner.

But he'd really done it, and Thorin had loved him ever since.

Saving everyone from the spiders had been terrifying, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Bilbo had said he'd do whatever he could to help reclaim Erebor, even if it meant he had to face off against a bunch of giant arachnids. When he'd had to save everyone from the elves, he'd been afraid, but he'd done it. The dwarves were in the place they hated most, and he knew that if it were the last thing he would ever do, Bilbo had to get Thorin and his crew of dwarves free of Thranduil's clutches. It had scared him, and for some time, though he couldn't calculate how long it had been, he'd almost thought of giving up. But whenever he tried, a voice in his head told him to stop, to keep going. So he had, and nothing could compare to when he'd freed everyone, and Thorin's relieved, happy face could never be forgotten from Bilbo's collection of mental images.

He loved Thorin, had so many times to realize it, but now he knew, really, really knew. Thorin surely loved him too.

And for once Bilbo was happy, with no worry that he'd die. Yes, Bilbo had proved that he could protect himself, and Thorin had done the same thing.

* * *

They were passionate, hiding none of their feelings. Bilbo released it in the way he held him, ran his hands through his hair, and kissed his neck. He showered Thorin in his emotions, and he felt Thorin do the same. There was happiness and there was pain, but the pain was soon destroyed. Bilbo had imagined he'd be a bachelor and never feel anything close to this, but he was so glad to be wrong. He wished the moment could last forever, and Thorin must have surely felt the same.

Had his parents felt this feeling? He'd seen them kissing before, rather chaste out of fear that he'd see them and somehow be traumatized. He was sure they had, as it seemed he had never seen a happier couple until now, when he was a part of that couple. Though he had no idea what his father would think of his relationship with Thorin, he could imagine his father complaining about him being with a dwarf of all the races he could have chosen from, but his mother would've supported him in every way.

Thorin kissed him harder, his tongue exploring the inside of Bilbo's mouth, and Bilbo did the same. Thorin's hand slowly rubbed his arm, then went down his leg, then finally up again. Bilbo released himself from Thorin.

"Are you not ready for that?" Thorin asked, a look of concern on his face. "If you aren't then I certainly won't make you do it." He looked shamed. "If you tell me no then I will respect your wishes."

"No," Bilbo said.

Thorin nodded. "As you wish."

"You didn't let me finish my sentence," Bilbo said, then began to take off his pants. "No, I wanted to do it myself."

"Would you mind doing it for me?" Thorin asked, a playful gleam in his eyes. He pretended to yawn. "I am just oh so very tired and worn out. It would be a great help for me if you did that for me."

"I'd be happy to," Bilbo said.

"Don't worry, soon I won't be tired."

And Bilbo was even happier, and he knew he'd never again regret his decision for going on the journey to reclaim Erebor. And now he had a new journey, one that was on the inside of Erebor.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I want to keep the T rating, so that's as far as we'll go. The is pretty much the end of my story cause it was mostly supposed to be Thilbo drabbles. It ends with pure fan service. Thanks for reading!


End file.
